European Unionhttp://www.maclife.com/taxonomy/term/9805/all
enMorning Report: Microsoft Hearts NY, Apple Euro Jobs, iPad Manager to Misfithttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/morning_report_microsoft_hearts_ny_apple_euro_jobs_ipad_manager_misfit
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220903/apple_fifth_avenue_store_620px.png" alt="Apple Fifth Avenue store" width="620" height="300" /></p><p>You've got to hand it to Microsoft: They haven't given up on their quest to match Apple's retail expansion, and judging from today's Morning Report, the folks in Redmond will soon make Manhattan their next battle zone. We've also got an update on what one of the creators of the iPad are doing now, as well as Apple thumping its chest on European jobs, so click on and read all about it...</p><h3>Microsoft Eyes "Flashy" New Store Near Apple's NYC Cube</h3><p>New York City may soon get its first Microsoft retail store, and Redmond will have familiar neighbors. <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/real-estate/microsoft-talks-giant-ave-store-article-1.1894491" target="_blank"><em>The New York Daily News</em> reported Wednesday</a> that Microsoft is in negotiations for property at 677 Fifth Ave., a mere "stone's throw" from Apple's iconic flagship store, which is familiar to Manhattanites for its cubed glass design.<br /><br />By comparison, Microsoft apparently plans to occupy a two-story, 8,700-square-foot space formerly owned by Fendi, which is said to be among the "priciest in the nation" (as high as $3,500 per square foot!). Microsoft has yet to confirm the plans, but no one would be too surprised, given the Windows maker's penchant for "setting up shop near Apple stores, where it can go head to head with its competitor at close proximity."</p><h3>Apple Boasts 500K U.K. Jobs from App Store Alone</h3><p><a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2014/08/06/apple-says-its-app-store-has-created-500000-jobs-in-europe/" target="_blank"><em>The Wall Street Journal</em> reported Wednesday</a> that Apple appears to be going on a "charm offensive" in the European Union, <a href="https://www.apple.com/uk/job-creation/" target="_blank">touting on its U.K. website</a> how the App Store has created nearly half a million jobs that didn't exist before. The App Store makes up a big chunk of Apple's 629,000 "jobs created or supported" by Cupertino in Europe, with 16,000 actual employees and 4,500 suppliers across Europe.<br /><br />“Roughly 500,000 jobs have been created in Europe that are directly attributable to the App Store," Apple explained on its website. "Of the more than $20 billion developers have earned from App Store sales worldwide, $6.5 billion has been paid to European developers. In 2014 the overall app economy is expected to deliver $16.5 billion in revenues to EU GDP, and this contribution is growing at a rate of 12% per year.”</p><h3>Former iPad Product Manager Joins Misfit Wearables</h3><p><a href="http://venturebeat.com/2014/08/05/the-ipads-inventor-is-now-leading-hardware-at-misfit-wearables/" target="_blank">VentureBeat reported this week</a> that a former Apple senior engineering manager credited with creating the iPad has jumped ship to Mistfit Wearables, the company best known for its Shine health tracking device. Josh Banko may not be a household name, but the former manager of iPad product design — who also worked on the cylindrical design of the new Mac Pro — plans to apply some of what he learned at Apple to a "big hardware push" being planned at Misfit.<br /><br />“One thing I learned from Apple was to push the limits of things, we didn’t constrain people,” Banko told VentureBeat. “We want to have that same mindset [at Misfit]. We’ll do anything that we feel is compelling to consumers, and we’ll execute so it’s the most delightful product they know.”</p><p><em>Follow this article’s author, <a href="https://twitter.com/JRBTempe" target="_blank">J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter</a></em></p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/morning_report_microsoft_hearts_ny_apple_euro_jobs_ipad_manager_misfit#commentsNewsapple employeesApple Inc.European UnionFifth AvenueiPadJosh BankoMicrosoftMisfitMorning ReportNew York CityiPadiPhoneiPodThu, 07 Aug 2014 12:20:45 +0000J.R. Bookwalter20437 at http://www.maclife.comEU Regulators to Make Decision on Apple-Beats Deal by July 30http://www.maclife.com/article/news/eu_regulators_make_decision_applebeats_deal_july_30
<!--paging_filter--><p>The fanfare has come and gone, but Apple's widely publicized acquisition of Beats Music isn't in the clear yet. As <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/06/25/us-apple-beats-eu-idUSKBN0F00TQ20140625" target="_blank">Reuters </a>reports, Antitrust regulators in the European Union announced today that they would decide whether or not to clear the bid by July 30.</p><p>Two things could happen. In the best case scenario for Apple, the regulators will approve the $3 billion acquisition unconditionally, thus rendering this action little more than a formality. On the other hand, the committee could demand concessions from the Cupertino giant if it sees the acquisition as stifling the competition.</p><p><img src="/files/u334114/2014/06/beats.jpg" width="620" height="450" /></p><p>If issues do arise, they'll likely center on competing services such as Spotify and Google Play Music (the latter of which suggests that approval will be a breeze). Apple still hasn't announced exactly what it plans to do with the service side, although it's widely thought that the company acquired Beats to get a head start in the music-streaming business.</p><p>At least the Europeans have given a date. It's still not clear who will clear the deal in the U.S. itself, although the final decision will likely be made jointly between the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice.</p><p><em>Follow this article's writer,<a href="https://twitter.com/LeifJohnson" target="_blank">&nbsp;Leif Johnson</a>, on Twitter.</em></p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/eu_regulators_make_decision_applebeats_deal_july_30#commentsNewsantitrustappleBeatsDr. Dre. musicEuropean UnionmonopolystreamingWed, 25 Jun 2014 22:10:54 +0000Leif Johnson20213 at http://www.maclife.comOvernight Recap: Amazon Prime Music, Apple EU Tax Probe, Mac Pros Now Readily Availablehttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/overnight_recap_amazon_prime_music_apple_eu_tax_probe_mac_pros_now_readily_available
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220903/amazon_prime_music_good_news_620px.png" alt="Amazon Prime Music good news" width="620" height="300" /></p><p>A bit of both happy and sad news for users of the Photoful app this week: <a href="http://photodrive.io/preview" target="_blank">Developer Jeff Bargmann announced</a> that he's packed his bags and headed to Yahoo, where he'll be working full-time as part of the Flickr team. Bargmann's unreleased PhotoDrive app apparently caught the eye of <a href="http://flickr.tumblr.com/post/88389765751/welcoming-jeff-bargmann-to-flickr" target="_blank">Flickr executive Bernardo Hernandez</a>, so we look forward to seeing what the new pairing comes up with, even though the existing apps will be shut down. Congrats, Jeff!</p><h3>Amazon Prime Music Launches with Rebranded iOS App</h3><p>Amazon Prime subscribers may still be stinging from the recent $20 per year price increase, but it looks like it's being put to good use. As rumored recently, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/b/ref=sd_allcat_prime_music?ie=UTF8&amp;node=8335758011" target="_blank">Amazon launched a new Prime Music service</a>, offering unlimited, ad-free streaming for more than a million songs and hundreds of playlists, all free for Prime subscribers. The launch also comes with the rebranding of the Amazon Cloud Player app, which is now known simply as <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/amazon-music/id510855668?mt=8" target="_blank">Amazon Music</a> and likewise includes Prime Music streaming while on the go.</p><h3>EU Launches Probe Into Apple's Irish Tax Shelter</h3><p><a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-06-11/tax-breaks-for-apple-to-starbucks-probed-by-eu-watchdog.html" target="_blank">Bloomberg reported Wednesday</a> that companies like Apple and Starbucks are under fire in Ireland, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg now that the European Union has launched an investigation into "illegal state aid," which has cost the united governments upwards of one trillion euros (USD$1.4 trillion) each year. “Apple pays every euro of every tax that we owe,” the company said in an e-mailed statement. “We have received no selective treatment from Irish officials. Apple is subject to the same tax laws as scores of other international companies doing business in Ireland.” This isn't the first time the Cupertino company has been in hot water over foreign taxes — with a negotiated tax rate of less than two percent in Ireland, a U.S. senate report also singled out Apple last year.</p><h3>Logitech Debuts New Space-Saving 2.1 Multimedia Speakers</h3><p>If you happen to be in the market for new speakers for your Mac or PC, Logitech has just announced a new 2.1 multimedia speaker system that promises to really bring music, movies, and games to life with rich bass. Featuring two satellite speakers and a dedicated subwoofer, the <a href="http://www.logitech.com/news/z213speakers" target="_blank">Logitech Multimedia Speakers Z213</a> are affordably priced at $29.99 and the space-saving design makes them perfectly suited for any system. Couple the Z213 with Logitech's Bluetooth Audio Adapter (available separately) and the jams get pumping without wires. The Logitech Multimedia Speakers Z213 will be available in U.S. retail and online stores later this month.</p><h3>Denial of Service Attack Brings Feedly, Others to Its Knees</h3><p>Have trouble logging in to Feedly or Evernote yesterday? <a href="http://blog.feedly.com/2014/06/11/denial-of-service-attack/" target="_blank">According to the Building Feedly blog</a>, a distributed denial of service attack (DDos) pummeled a number of Internet services early Wednesday, a coordinated assault by criminals who attempted to extort money from the RSS sync provider. Feedly "refused to give in" and the company regained control of its service yesterday afternoon. "We are working in parallel with other victims of the same group and with law enforcement," the blog post elaborated, referring to services like Evernote who were also briefly affected by the attackers. At this writing, everything seems to be back to normal for those affected.</p><h3>Apple Online Store Now Shipping Mac Pro Within 24 Hours</h3><p>Frustrated by the long wait to get your hands on one of those new Mac Pro computers? <a href="http://www.macrumors.com/2014/06/11/mac-pro-24-hours/" target="_blank">MacRumors reported Wednesday</a> that Apple's supply appears to finally be catching up to demand nearly six months after launch, with "available to ship" times now "within 24 hours" for the first time. In some cases, units are even available for same-day pickup in many retail locations. Maybe CEO Tim Cook lit a fire under the ass of factory workers in Austin, Texas, where he toured last week while in town to inaugurate the Mac maker's rebooted campus there.<br /><br /><em>Follow this article’s author, <a href="https://twitter.com/JRBTempe" target="_blank">J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter</a></em></p><p>&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/overnight_recap_amazon_prime_music_apple_eu_tax_probe_mac_pros_now_readily_available#commentsNewsAmazon MusicAmazon PrimeApple Online StoreEuropean UnionFeedlyLogitechMac Proovernight recapspeakerstax breakiPadiPhoneiPodMacThu, 12 Jun 2014 12:28:22 +0000J.R. Bookwalter20128 at http://www.maclife.comWeekend Recap: Aereo Goes to Supreme Court, Mac Pro in EU, Streamnationhttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/weekend_recap_aereo_goes_supreme_court_mac_pro_eu_streamnation
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220903/aereo_how_it_works_620px.png" alt="How Aereo works" width="620" height="300" /></p><p>It's been one of those good news, bad news kind of weekends. For Target shoppers, it's potentially one of the latter, while present and future Aereo customers fall more squarely in the former category, assuming the nation's most important court weighs in its favor. Ready to find out more? Dig in your virtual heels and jump head-first into our weekend recap...</p><h3>U.S. Supreme Court Will Decide Fate of TV Provider Aereo</h3><p>Upstart television provider <a href="http://blog.aereo.com/2014/01/statement-aereo-ceo-founder-chet-kanojia-2/" target="_blank">Aereo announced Friday</a> that it will finally get its day in court — in this case, the United States Supreme Court, which will hear the company's defense against ABC and other broadcasters looking to shut down its innovative service. Already available in New York City, Boston, Atlanta, Miami, Salt Lake City, Houston, Dallas, Denver, Detroit and Baltimore, Aereo uses a remote, cloud-based antenna with DVR technology to deliver over-the-air broadcast signals to the Mac, iOS and other devices for as little as $8 per month. Needless to say, television networks complain that Aereo is effectively stealing their signal, but thus far the startup has prevailed in smaller court battles. The Supreme Court will now ultimately decide if Aereo's technology "falls squarely within the law" as the company claims, and potentially fend off any future legal action from the networks once and for all.</p><h3>Apple Resumes Shipment of Mac Pro to Europe with Latest Model</h3><p><a href="http://9to5mac.com/2014/01/12/apple-now-shipping-the-mac-pro-to-europe-once-again-after-eu-ban-of-old-model/" target="_blank">9to5Mac reported Sunday</a> that European buyers of Apple's latest Mac Pro are now receiving shipment notifications, with deliveries arriving as early as January 14. The previous models were effectively banned by the European Union nearly a year ago due to a regulatory change that affected the Mac Pro's fans and electrical ports — problems that do not impact the latest and greatest tubular black models. <a href="http://www.macg.co/mac/2014/01/premieres-expeditions-des-mac-pro-pour-leurope-79176" target="_blank">According to MacGeneration</a>, European orders placed today from Apple's online store will be received in February.</p><h3>Streamnation Celebrates New Year with More Free Storage</h3><p>2014 is here in full force, and the folks behind <a href="https://www.streamnation.com/blog/index.php/celebrating-new-year-with-great-new-features/" target="_blank">Streamnation have decided to celebrate</a> with their customers by increasing free storage from a puny 2GB to a more generous 5GB — this, of course, is in addition to any free storage earned from referrals or other means, and the extra helping of cloud storage space for photos or videos also applies to paid subscribers as well. Last month, Streamnation rolled out new desktop clients for Mac and Windows, introduced the ability to upload or download in the background on iOS and an improved web interface to show the progress of files being transferred. Last but not least, users can now choose to allow friends to download content just by checking a box when sharing from the Photos and Videos library.</p><h3>Target Data Breach Bigger Than Thought, 70 Million More Affected</h3><p>Unfortunately, Target's data breach nightmare is like a snowball from hell, getting larger and larger as it rolls downhill. <a href="https://corporate.target.com/discover/article/an-update-on-our-data-breach-and-financial-perform" target="_blank">The retailer announced Friday</a> that "certain guest information" was also taken from Target in addition to the previously announced holiday incident, and their investigation shows that the stolen information "includes names, mailing addresses, phone numbers or email addresses for up to 70 million individuals." The retailer will be offering a year of free credit monitoring and identity theft protection for all Target guests who shopped in U.S. locations, with additional details on that offer coming sometime this week.</p><h3>Snapchat Update Makes Find Friends Optional</h3><p>Following an unpopular update which linked phone numbers with usernames, <a href="http://blog.snapchat.com/post/72768002320/find-friends-improvements" target="_blank">Snapchat announced Thursday</a> that they've released a new iOS and Android update to "improve" that Find Friends functionality and allow users to opt-out of such linkage. Snapchatters will also be required to verify their phone numbers prior to using Find Friends, which the chat network claims will "prevent future attempts to abuse our API."<br /><br /><em>Follow this article’s author, <a href="http://twitter.com/JRBTempe" target="_blank">J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter</a></em></p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/weekend_recap_aereo_goes_supreme_court_mac_pro_eu_streamnation#commentsNewsAereoEuropean Unionfree storageMac Pro 2013security breachesSnapchatStreamnationsupreme courtTargetweekend recapiPadiPhoneiPodMacMon, 13 Jan 2014 13:20:49 +0000J.R. Bookwalter19043 at http://www.maclife.comFrench Junior Minister Calls Out Apple Over AppGratis Removalhttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/french_junior_minister_calls_out_apple_over_appgratis_removal
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220903/appgratis_200px.png" alt="AppGratis" width="200" height="150" class="graphic-right" />The saga of AppGratis and its removal from the App Store last Friday continues, with a French minister calling for an EU regulatory investigation of Apple's digital storefront and its policies.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/11/apple-france-appstore-idUSL5N0CY42J20130411" target="_blank">Reuters reported Thursday</a> that French junior minister for digital economy Fleur Pellerin has called out Apple following last week's App Store removal of AppGratis, a company based in Paris.<br /><br />"This behavior is not worthy of a company of this size," Pellerin remarked, referring to the AppGratis ejection as "extremely brutal and unilateral."<br /><br />To curb what she calls "repeated abusive behavior" by Apple, the French minister is calling for the European Commission and its member states to begin regulation of digital platforms such as iTunes and the App Store, as well as social media and even search engines.<br /><br />An unnamed Apple spokesperson told Reuters that the removal was justified after having a discussion with AppGratis, who subsequently "disregarded its technical specifications" -- a response that seems to conflict with statements made by AppGratis CEO Simon Dawlat on Tuesday.<br /><br />French regulation of internet services is nothing new: The country has relentlessly pursued companies based abroad, receiving an $82 million "special fund" settlement from Google in February after pursuing licensing fees on behalf of French publishers.<br /><br /><em>Follow this article’s author, <a href="http://twitter.com/JRBTempe" target="_blank">J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter</a></em></p><p>&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/french_junior_minister_calls_out_apple_over_appgratis_removal#commentsNewsApp StoreAppGratisApple Inc.AppsEuropean UnionFranceregulationregulatoryremovalspecificationsiPadiPhoneiPodFri, 12 Apr 2013 11:58:34 +0000J.R. Bookwalter16722 at http://www.maclife.comReport: French Reseller Claims New Mac Pro Coming for Springhttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/report_french_reseller_claims_new_mac_pro_coming_spring
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220903/mac_pro_200px.png" alt="Mac Pro" width="200" height="150" class="graphic-right" />If you live in the U.S. and are sad about the state of the Mac Pro, just imagine how it must feel for those living in Europe, where the computer will be discontinued next month -- but it may only be a temporary move.<br /><br /><a href="http://9to5mac.com/2013/02/06/apple-reportedly-tells-french-reseller-that-a-new-mac-pro-is-coming-in-the-spring/?utm_source=feedburner&amp;utm_medium=twitter&amp;utm_campaign=Feed%3A+9To5Mac-MacAllDay+%289+to+5+Mac+-+Apple+Intelligence%29" target="_blank">9to5Mac is reporting</a> that Apple Authorized Reseller and Certified Education center France Systemes is notifying customers that the upcoming March 1 deadline to purchase a Mac Pro in the European Union may only be temporary.<br /><br />"However, we believe that the judgment of the Mac Pro is temporary, Apple informed us that a new Mac Pro will be released in spring 2013," a loosely-translated version of the company's newsletter text said. "We will be sure to submit these products since their introduction."<br /><br />France Systemes has been in the Apple business for 17 years, so it would seem unlikely they'd make wild, unsubstantiated claims -- however, it seems hard to believe that anyone at Apple would confirm the existence of a new Mac Pro without an official announcement.<br /><br />Regardless, Apple will stop selling the existing Mac Pro in Europe come March 1 due to regulatory changes, and given how long it's been since the computer has had a true refresh, a new model is likely to come down the pipeline sooner rather than later.<br /><br /><em>Follow this article’s author, <a href="http://twitter.com/JRBTempe" target="_blank">J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter</a></em></p><p>&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/report_french_reseller_claims_new_mac_pro_coming_spring#commentsNewsApple Inc.Apple Premium ResellersauthorizeddiscontinuedEuropean UnionMac ProMarchresellersRumorsMacWed, 06 Feb 2013 14:26:30 +0000J.R. Bookwalter16170 at http://www.maclife.comOvernight Recap: Mac Pro Pulled from EU, VUDU In-Home Disc to Digital Betahttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/overnight_recap_mac_pro_pulled_eu_vudu_inhome_disc_digital_beta
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="http://www.maclife.com/files/u220903/mac_pro_12-core_2012_refresh_200px.png" alt="Mac. To the power of 12." width="200" height="150" class="graphic-right" />Mac Pro fans in the European Union who are on the fence about purchasing one of the current, aging models may want to move quickly -- come March 1, they'll be pulled from store shelves over some messy regulatory compliance issues. Does that mean that CEO Tim Cook's promise of "something really great" for the next generation of Mac Pro will come to pass? Only time will tell...</p><h3>Mac Pro Sales in EU End March 1, Regulatory Compliance to Blame</h3><p><a href="http://9to5mac.com/2013/01/31/apple-to-discontinue-mac-pro-in-europe-in-march-over-new-product-certification-standards/" target="_blank">After first being reported by 9to5Mac on Thursday</a>, <a href="http://www.loopinsight.com/2013/01/31/apple-confirms-mac-pro-sales-will-cease-in-eu-on-march-1/" target="_blank">Apple has now confirmed to The Loop</a> that the existing Mac Pro will be discontinued in the European Union as of March 1, 2013. While some may speculate this is yet another nail in the coffin of Apple's highest end Mac, the move is less about the product line and more about compliance with regulatory requirements throughout Europe. “Due to evolving regulatory requirements, Apple will stop selling Mac Pro in EU, EU candidate and EFTA countries on March 1, 2013,” an Apple representative said in a statement. “After that date, resellers can sell existing inventory but Apple will no longer ship Mac Pro in those countries.” A note sent to EU resellers clarified that “these systems are not compliant with Amendment 1 of regulation IEC 60950-1, Second Edition which becomes effective on this date," which relates to "the absence of fan guards and a requirement for better protection on the ports of the Mac Pro's electrical system."</p><h3>VUDU Opens In-Home Disc to Digital Beta, Windows Only for Now</h3><p>As we reported earlier this month, Walmart-owned streaming provider VUDU promised to bring their popular Disc to Digital service into users' homes in late January. Starting Thursday afternoon, the company began emailing select VUDU users that a beta version of its VUDU To Go desktop software is now available, allowing DVDs to be converted to SD for $2 or HDX for $5 each, or from Blu-ray to HDX for $2 each. There's only one catch: The software is currently for Windows only, but Mac support is promised soon. Thankfully we received the email invite and were able to give it a spin running Windows 8 via Parallels Desktop 8, and the service appears to be running like a champ thus far. Didn't get the invite? <a href="http://www.vudu.com/in_home_disc_to_digital.html?CID=Email&amp;SCID=Announcement&amp;KWID=In_Home_Disc_Digital_Beta_013113" target="_blank">This link</a> may or may help you find what you seek...</p><h3>Square Card Reader Expands to Verizon Retail Stores</h3><p>Small businesses are finding the Square Card Reader a valuable asset, and thankfully it's getting easier to find as well. <a href="http://news.verizonwireless.com/news/2013/01/square-mobile-payment-small-business.html" target="_blank">Verizon Wireless announced Thursday</a> that the white plastic dongle is now available for sale at its retail stores from coast to coast for the low price of just $9.97. But can't you just order one free online, we hear you ask? Yes, you can, but who's got the patience for that? Verizon's model comes with a $10 credit to your Square account, so it's kind of like getting paid three cents and having immediate gratification all at once.</p><h3>tap tap tap Celebrates 10 Million Camera+ Sales, Teases Version 4</h3><p>As popular as the App Store has become, few developers can claim to have hit 10 million paid copies of their title -- but that's exactly what <a href="http://taptaptap.com/blog/10-million-cameraplus-copies-sold/" target="_blank">tap tap tap has done with their popular Camera+ app</a>. In addition to touting the milestone on their blog, the company is also offering an exclusive look at Camera + 4.0, promising an end to skeuomorphism and the beginning of a more "flat design" for the app, along with lust-worthy features like shake to shoot, pinch to limerick and more. As you may have figured, the developer is just pulling our leg, and we'll all have to sit back and wait to find out what the future holds for the app.</p><h3>Adobe Creative Cloud for Teams Now Available</h3><p><a href="http://www.adobe.com/products/creativecloud/teams.html" target="_blank">Adobe announced Thursday</a> that Creative Cloud for Teams is now available for purchase. The plan starts at $69.99 per month with a one-year subscription, offering full versions of every CS6 app, 100GB of cloud storage, full access to services, centralized billing and administration and two Expert Services calls per seat. Existing CS6 customers can upgrade to Teams for only $49.99 per month for the first year -- a promotional price that's only valid until April 30, 2013, and requires an existing CS3 or later license.<br /><br /><em>Follow this article’s author, <a href="http://twitter.com/JRBTempe" target="_blank">J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter</a></em></p><p>&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/overnight_recap_mac_pro_pulled_eu_vudu_inhome_disc_digital_beta#commentsNewsAdobe Creative Clouddisc to digitaldiscontinuedEuropean UnionMac Proovernight recapSquareVerizon WirelessvuduiPadiPhoneMacFri, 01 Feb 2013 12:00:11 +0000J.R. Bookwalter16133 at http://www.maclife.comApple Acquires Trademark to Lightning from Harley-Davidsonhttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/apple_acquires_trademark_lightning_harleydavidson
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220903/lightning_to_usb_cable_200px.png" alt="Lightning to USB Cable" width="200" height="151" class="graphic-right" />Apple has added yet another trademark to their coffers, this time for the term "Lightning." But what's most interesting about it is who they have acquired it from: None other than Harley-Davidson.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.patentlyapple.com/patently-apple/2012/11/apple-acquired-lightning-trademark-from-harley-davidson.html" target="_blank">Patently Apple is reporting</a> that the EU Patent &amp; Trademark Office has just published two Apple trademark applications for the term "Lightning," the company's new small-form dock connector for its iOS devices.<br /><br />The application numbers 011399821 and 011399862 reveal that Apple actually acquired the trademark from H-D Michigan, Inc., who had protected their rights to the name until 2013.<br /><br />So who is "H-D Michigan, Inc."? A little investigate work has revealed the owner is none other than Harley-Davidson, who uses the H-D Michigan company as its intellectual property holding firm.<br /><br />"At first glance I thought that the transfer of the trademark from Harley-Davidson to Apple illustrated Harley's original International Classes of 009 and 028, especially because it covers items such as motorcycle electrical parts, protective helmet and turn signals," Patently Apple explains. "However, it goes on to protect television sets, games, computer game programs, eye glasses and eyeglass frames; things that would have nothing to do with Harley-Davidson."<br /><br />The application notes that the Lightning trademark appears to be a partial transfer, meaning that Harley-Davidson may have retained use of the term for some of their own uses unrelated to Apple.<br /><br /><em>Follow this article’s author, <a href="http://twitter.com/JRBTempe" target="_blank">J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter</a></em></p><p>&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/apple_acquires_trademark_lightning_harleydavidson#commentsNewsacquisitionsApple Inc.European UnionHarley-DavidsonLightninglightning connectortrademarktransfersiPadiPhoneiPodMon, 26 Nov 2012 14:45:23 +0000J.R. Bookwalter15656 at http://www.maclife.comMonday Recap: VLC 2.0 Incoming, Apple Warns Pegatron, EU OK with Googorolahttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/monday_recap_vlc_20_incoming_apple_warns_pegatron_eu_ok_googorola
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220903/apple_stock_price_02-13-12_200px.png" alt="Apple stock price Monday, Feb. 13, 2012" width="200" height="150" class="graphic-right" />How about that Apple Inc.! Today marked the fateful day when the company’s stock price soared above the $500 per share mark, so there was likely a cascading fountain or champagne in ol’ Cupertino today. Definitely a nice early Valentine for Apple, but the week is young and there’s plenty more excitement to come, we’re sure. For now, let’s kick back and bask in the glow of a warm Monday, February 13, 2012, shall we…?</p><h3>VLC 2.0 Imminent with New UI for Mac, Apps for iOS and Android</h3><p>It wasn’t so long ago that open-source media player VLC appeared marked for death on the Mac platform, with developer VideoLAN short on coders capable of moving the application into a 64-bit world. Thankfully, that nightmare has passed and <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2012/2/13/2794986/VLC-2-rc1-mac-windows-android-ios-download" target="_blank">now The Verge is reporting</a> that a version 2.0 of VLC will debut later this week sporting “an all-new UI for Mac users, support for fullscreen mode in Lion, experimental support for Blu-ray playback in OS X, and extended codec support.” The new version consolidates playlists, media libraries and controls into one window, introducing a new white on black look that echoes QuickTime X, rather than the QuickTime of yore seen in previous versions. A release candidate is available for download now, and the change log included there also teases that VideoLAN is hard at work on a port of VLC 2.0 for both iOS and Android -- quite the shocker considering the drama that erupted last year when the VLC iOS app was unceremoniously yanked from App Store shelves over an open-source licensing dispute.</p><h3>European Union is A-OK with “Googorola”</h3><p><a href="http://allthingsd.com/20120213/google-gets-european-okay-for-motorola-mobility-purchase/" target="_blank">AllThingsD is reporting</a> that the European Union has given an “all-clear” to Google for the purchase of Motorola Mobility, a big step toward making the deal a reality in the early part of this year. However, EU regulators still have some concerns, most notably in how Google intends to use Moto’s bulging patent portfolio. “This merger decision should not and will not mean that we are not concerned by the possibility that, once Google is the owner of this portfolio, Google can abuse these patents, linking some patents with its Android devices,” Commissioner Joaquin Almunia told reporters. “This is our worry.” While there’s little chance of Google using the patents to keep Android away from other manufacturers, there’s a much larger possibility of the search giant using the patents as a club against competitors like Apple. For now, Google is simply basking in the joy of crossing a major hurdle. “This is an important milestone in the approval process and it moves us closer to closing the deal,” Google said in a blog post. “We are now just waiting for decisions from a few other jurisdictions before we can close this transaction.”</p><h3>Apple to Pegatron: Stop Making MacBook Air Knockoffs</h3><p>You’d think handling a big chunk of manufacturing for the world’s hottest technology company would be enough for Pegatron, but apparently not. <a href="http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20120213PB201.html" target="_blank">According to DigiTimes</a>, Pegatron is being pressured by Apple to abandon manufacturing for Asustek Computer’s new line of ultrabooks. The problem stems from how closely the Asus Zenbook notebooks resemble Apple’s MacBook Air, “especially in its outer design.” Needless to say, “Apple reportedly was unhappy” to discover Pegatron was also manufacturing the knockoff ultrabooks, and given that the manufacturer just started assembling iPhones last year “and is eager to solicit orders for next-generation iPads,” something’s gotta give. The report claims Pegatron will wind down Zenbook production by the end of March, forcing Asustek to outsource the work to either Compai Electronics or Wistron.</p><h3>NPD Data Touts Apple as Number One Brand for 2011</h3><p>Apple’s blowout final quarter for 2011 continues to make shock waves across the industry, and <a href="https://www.npd.com/wps/portal/npd/us/news/pressreleases/pr_120213" target="_blank">today The NPD Group released data</a> that showed Cupertino “accounted for 19 percent of all sales dollars” during the period, eclipsing second-place Hewlett-Packard by nearly double for a 36 percent growth in sales over previous 2010 data. That puts Apple as the number one ranked U.S. brand for the entire 2011 calendar year, while second place HP declined three percent, third-place Samsung declined six percent, fourth place Sony declined 21 percent and fifth-place Dell declined 17 percent. (Hey, we’re sensing a pattern here: Apple rises, everyone else falls?) Despite record traffic to Apple’s retail locations, Best Buy walked away with the top retailer spot for the year, followed by Walmart and Apple, with a tie between Staples and Amazon in fourth place to round out the top five, a repeat of last year’s results.</p><h3>All-Time High: Apple Shares Soar Past $500</h3><p><a href="http://www.macrumors.com/2012/02/13/apple-share-price-breaches-500-hits-all-time-high/" target="_blank">MacRumors is reporting</a> that Apple’s stock price made the record books today, breaking the glass ceiling of $500 per share after rising more than $75 per share in less than three weeks, an 18 percent increase. Thus far, the price appears to be staying put, too: At the close of the stock market on Monday, AAPL is $501.53, which puts its worth at more than $469 billion -- “the most valuable public company in the world by a significant margin,” notes MacRumors, since second-place ExxonMobil is only worth around $400 billion at the moment. That said, Apple still has a way to go if they want to match Microsoft, who had a peak market cap of $642 billion back in September, 2000.<br /><br /><em>Follow this article’s author, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/JRBTempe" target="_blank">J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter</a></em></p><p>&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/monday_recap_vlc_20_incoming_apple_warns_pegatron_eu_ok_googorola#commentsNewsApple Inc.Asusdaily recapEuropean UnionGooglemacbook airMotorolaPegatronstock marketVLCZenbookiPhoneMacMon, 13 Feb 2012 21:42:14 +0000J.R. Bookwalter13278 at http://www.maclife.comTuesday Recap: Jobs Bio Tops Amazon, BBC iPlayer Incoming, Price Check Promohttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/tuesday_recap_jobs_bio_tops_amazon_bbc_iplayer_incoming_price_check_promo
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220903/amazon_price_check_promotion_200px.jpg" alt="Amazon Price Check promotion" width="200" height="150" class="graphic-right" />It seems like the lazy part of December is upon us: The frenzy of Black Friday and Cyber Monday is behind us and the last-minute mad rush for holiday gifts is still a week or two away. So what’s a MacLife.com reader to do? Why not take a bite out of some tasty tech news from around the internet while you wait -- here’s the latest and greatest for Tuesday, December 6, 2011.</p><h3>Steve Jobs Bio Tops Amazon’s 2011 Best Seller List</h3><p>Not much of a surprise, but Walter Isaacson’s authorized biography of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs has <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/2011/books/" target="_blank">landed in the top spot on Amazon.com’s best seller list for 2011</a> after debuting at number 13. The official bio has only been available since late October, jumping into the number two position less than a month ago. Needless to say, the bio will soon take the leap to the big screen after the rights were acquired by Sony Pictures, with The West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin “strongly considering” the role of screenwriter on what’s sure to be an epic feature film adaptation.</p><h3>BBC iPlayer App Arriving on iPhone This Week</h3><p>If you’re a fan of British television, you’ve no doubt been on pins and needles waiting for BBC Worldwide’s global iPlayer app to wash ashore here in the colonies. Just last week the app launched in Canada after a pilot launch in Australia and Scandinavia, and <a href="http://thenextweb.com/apps/2011/12/06/the-bbcs-global-iplayer-expands-to-iphone-and-ipod-touch/" target="_blank">now The Next Web is reporting</a> the subscription-based app will be arriving in the U.S. this week: Thursday, December 8 to be exact, not to mention expanding into other countries like Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Ireland, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland as well. Oddly, BBC iPlayer will only initially be available for the iPhone and iPod touch -- there’s no word on when a super-sized version for the iPad will follow, but at this point we’ll take what we can get.</p><h3>EU Regulators Investigating E-Book Publishers</h3><p>In other global news, <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-12-06/eu-said-to-start-antitrust-review-into-e-book-pricing-sales-restrictions.html" target="_blank">Bloomberg is reporting</a> that Apple and five e-book publishers are now under scrutiny in the European Union “over deals that may restrict sales across the region.” EU antitrust regulators are up in arms over Cupertino’s deals with Hatchette, Harper Collins, Simon &amp; Schuster, Penguin and Macmillan, and the scrutiny also extends to traditional brick and mortar retailers as well. The EU wants to fight “artificial restrictions imposed by some companies to cross-border trade,” and the probe announced today “will in particular investigate whether these publishing groups and Apple have engaged in illegal agreements or practices that would have the object or the effect of restricting competition.” The parties in question are cooperating with the investigation, so we’ll see where this one goes...</p><h3>How Does May Sound for New MacBook Air, Pro Models?</h3><p><a href="http://www.macrumors.com/2011/12/06/ivy-bridge-mobile-cpus-for-next-macbook-air-and-pro-models-due-around-may/" target="_blank">MacRumors is reporting</a> that new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models look likely for May, 2012 thanks to a roadmap leaked from Intel outlining the company’s next-generation mobile processors, dubbed “Ivy Bridge.” According to VR-Zone, Ivy Bridge will allow Apple to introduce quad-core processors to the 13-inch MacBook Pro, while bringing “significantly faster graphics and new OpenCL capabilities to the MacBook Air.” Of course, as MacRumors notes, a lot of what Apple will do is dependent upon the direction the company decides to take its MacBook Pro line, which is rumored to get a complete revamp early next year. In any event, if you can survive with your current rig for a few more months, it might just be worth waiting until May to see what shakes out.</p><h3>PSA: Amazon Wants to Pay You for Using Price Check App</h3><p>Amazon is ready to open up an old-fashioned can of whoop-ass on brick and mortar retailers this holiday season -- at least for those of us using the company’s Price Check app on iOS or Android. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?docId=1000749751&amp;tag=gmgamzn-20" target="_blank">This Saturday, December 10, Amazon is giving Price Check users a five percent discount</a> (up to $5 per item) on “select items in electronics, toys, sports, music and DVD just by checking a price.” Better yet, you can redeem the offer three times for a maximum savings of $15. The promotion kicks off at 9pm PST on Saturday and ends at 11:59pm PST on December 10. What’s the catch? There isn’t one, but Amazon is hoping you’ll share with them the in-store advertised price of a qualifying product, which in turns helps them maintain the lowest prices. The only real downside is that you’ll have to get off your couch and actually go into a retail store to get the savings, but we’re betting more than a few of you will be all too happy to take Amazon up on some free cash for the holidays.<br /><br /><em>Follow this article’s author, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/JRBTempe" target="_blank">J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter</a></em></p><p>&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/tuesday_recap_jobs_bio_tops_amazon_bbc_iplayer_incoming_price_check_promo#commentsNewsAmazonbbcdaily recapEuropean UnionInteliPlayerIvy BridgePrice Checksteve jobs biographyWalter IsaacsoniPhoneiPodMacTue, 06 Dec 2011 22:42:10 +0000J.R. Bookwalter12900 at http://www.maclife.comiTunes Music Store Goes Live In 12 New Countries, iBookstore In 25http://www.maclife.com/article/news/itunes_music_store_goes_live_12_new_countries_ibookstore_25
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220903/itunes_10_icon_200px.png" alt="iTunes 10 icon" width="200" height="150" class="graphic-right" />On Wednesday, we reported that a Polish newspaper had spilled the beans on the iTunes Music Store expanding to 10 additional countries in the European Union. As it turns out, Apple flipped the switch on those new stores later the same day, expanding it to all 12 remaining EU countries and also expanding their iBookstore presence internationally.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.macrumors.com/2011/09/28/itunes-music-store-goes-live-in-12-new-european-countries/" target="_blank">MacRumors has a followup report</a> on the iTunes Music Store opening its virtual doors across the European Union, and it’s good news for all. Instead of only 10 out of the 12 EU countries gaining the music store as reported by Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita, it turns out the switch has been thrown in all 12, which means Apple now has at least a music presence across all of the European Union.<br /><br />That means Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia can all be officially welcomed into the fold, despite sources claiming that the smaller Cyprus and Malta might get left in the lurch.<br /><br />But Apple isn’t stopping there -- <a href="http://www.macrumors.com/2011/09/28/apple-rolling-out-itunes-movie-content-in-new-european-countries/" target="_blank">MacRumors also reports</a> that iTunes movie sales and rentals have been expanding as well, with customers in Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden claiming such content has appeared there, but only in a search rather than a dedicated storefront (perhaps for now).<br /><br />Finally, <a href="http://www.pigsgourdsandwikis.com/2011/09/apples-ibookstore-opens-in-25-new.html" target="_blank">the curiously-named Pigs, Gourds and Wikis reports</a> that iBookstore has also spread its wings, adding 25 new countries where authors and publishers now have the ability to choose which countries to sell their work to.<br /><br />“Christian Peters just alerted me to the fact that he can choose Spain as a market for his books on the iBookstore,” the website notes. “Before today, you could only choose US, UK, France, Germany, Australia, and Canada. Now, you can add twenty-five new markets for your iBooks: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Replublic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portgal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland.”<br /><br />Good news for our international readers, and we’ll likely hear a bit more about these stealth launches at next Tuesday’s keynote on October 4 at 10am PST in Cupertino.<br /><br /><em>Follow this article’s author, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/JRBTempe" target="_blank">J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter</a></em></p><p>&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/itunes_music_store_goes_live_12_new_countries_ibookstore_25#commentsNewsApple Inc.European UnioniBookstoreinternationaliTunesiTunes Music StoremoviesMusicThu, 29 Sep 2011 12:45:22 +0000J.R. Bookwalter12515 at http://www.maclife.comTen More European Union Countries May Soon Get iTunes Music Storehttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/ten_more_european_union_countries_may_soon_get_itunes_music_store
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220903/itunes_10_icon_200px.png" alt="iTunes 10 icon" width="200" height="150" class="graphic-right" />Many of us take for granted the ease with which we buy music via iTunes, but the reality is that Apple’s virtual storefront is only available in less than two dozen countries around the world. That may soon be changing, with a report claiming 10 more European Union countries will soon be added to the mix.<br /><a href="http://www.macrumors.com/2011/09/28/itunes-music-store-coming-soon-to-10-new-european-union-countries/" target="_blank"><br />MacRumors is reporting</a> that 10 more European Union countries may soon be getting the iTunes Music Store, with Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic named as the key benefactors. <a href="http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http://www.ekonomia24.pl/artykul/706258%2C723675-Apple-lada-chwila-wystartuje-z-iTunes-Store-w-Polsce.html&amp;hl=en&amp;langpair=auto%7Cen" target="_blank">According to Polish newspaper <em>Rzeczpospolita</em></a>, the timing of the new launch is unknown but sources claim it could come “at any time.”<br /><br />There are a total of 27 countries in the European Union, and 12 of those currently have no iTunes Music Store. Aside from the aforementioned Poland, Hungary and Czech Republic, the list of contenders includes Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia.<br /><br />MacRumors speculates that Cyprus and Malta could be the two EU countries who won’t be getting the iTunes Music Store this time around, citing “geographic isolation and their status as the two countries having the smallest populations among those currently without music stores.”<br /><br />Poland and Romania would be considered the biggest coups for Apple, with 38 million and 28 million residents each, respectively. The remaining EU countries have a population of less than 10 million residents each.<br /><br /><em>Follow this article’s author, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/JRBTempe" target="_blank">J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter</a></em></p><p>&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/ten_more_european_union_countries_may_soon_get_itunes_music_store#commentsNewsEuropean UnioninternationaliTunesiTunes Music StorelicensingMusicPolandRomaniaRumorsWed, 28 Sep 2011 13:01:38 +0000J.R. Bookwalter12502 at http://www.maclife.com